


Reminisce, Demon Hunter X

by Introverted_Cupcake_x



Series: X, The Demon Hunter [2]
Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Ancient Japan AU, Forgive Me, I am so sorry, demon hunting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-15 20:01:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18079994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introverted_Cupcake_x/pseuds/Introverted_Cupcake_x
Summary: Fed up with X's pacifism, Commander Sigma issues him a challenge: If he can survive a week trapped in a Demon Hollow without killing any demons, then he'll acknowledge his peaceful ways of dialogue and necessary self-defence. But as X starts the challenge, he befriends a succubus with mixed intentions who happens to shapeshift...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another warm-up fic. Definitely not going to make a full-fledged series even though I have a gazillion ideas running through my head.

The fire crackled in the courtyard as X sat cross-legged in front of it, chewing on a mint leaf while gazing into the flames. He still wore his training garbs from today's gruelling tasks on top of the hazing he's been enduring from others even though he's been here for a year, so he's yet to properly bathe at the river and wash despite it being almost midnight and everyone is having a peaceful slumber. A benefit of becoming a Demon Hunter is that even as a cadet you get 2 huge meals a day so you never go to bed hungry, but X did something earlier that pissed off Commander Sigma so much that he was forced to miss the second meal and jog through the forest outside town boundaries while carrying the log of an evergreen upon his back until he is called back from a messenger crow.

* * *

_Archery is incredibly easy for a teenager with arms built from years of carrying manuscripts, but after a particularly annoying morning where other cadets kept jostling against X's side and making him drop things, he almost snapped as someone - Chill Pen, a particularly stout man in black and white yukata - elbowed his arm and he prematurely let go of an arrow, sending it flying onto the rooftop of the HQ's watchtower. Chill Pen and his small gang cackled as Sigma saw X's wayward arrow and groaned, facepalming._

_"Go retrieve that arrow! Silver birch arrows are getting too expensive for you cadets to waste!" he ordered and X, resisting the urge to throw the bow down, looped it around his torso as he left the stretch of dirt field and began to clamber up the numerous ladders weaving in and out of the slightly-wobbling structure, trying to ignore the taunts from his fellows._

_"Jerks..." X grumbled under his breath and finally made it up through the trapdoor, seeing a snoozing watchwoman lying down with an arrow stuck in her straw veil._

_Carefully, without disturbing her, X tugged the arrow out before looking down at the field, seeing the cadets joking around with shoves._

_His hand clenched around the arrow while the other gripped the bow. He can see the back of the round target all the way from up here, much greater a distance than on the ground, but his heart began to thrum as an idea came to mind._

_Down by the target, Chill Pen began to mimic a chicken and squawking - no doubt trying to poorly impersonate X - and hopping beside it before turning to lift the hem of his yukata to flash and his friend guffawed in laughter. Too bad Sigma is too busy reading a meter-long parchment to notice him waving his junk around..._

_The bow groaned as X tugged the string back, drawing the arrow past his cheek, remembering the first time Zero positioned him to fire his first arrow, letting out a breath before suddenly letting go-_

* * *

X shouldn't laugh, but he couldn't help as he burst out laughing into his hand. If anyone saw him right now, they'd think he's gone insane from the hazing, but his cheeks flushed in delight as he remembered the look in Chill Pen's face as the arrow he fired stuck into the centre of the target, just inches away from his ass. Sigma choked on his spit at the commotion, saw that Chill Pen was flashing people as well as the arrow which had clearly been fired from the watchtower, where X sheepishly shrunk back at how screwed he is.

And it's why he is here right now, chewing on mint leaves to stave off hunger until first light comes. He can never sleep when he is hungry, granted that he was in a position where he never grew hungry before, but becoming a cadet has not only tested his physical abilities, but others as well that he never thought were important for Demon Hunters.

But he realised that even though he's encountered weak demons during training, he's never been able to activate that ability again - the one he accidentally used to trap souls in his own mind and separating them from their own bodies.

"How am I gonna show Zero what I'm made of if I can't even use that ability whenever I wanted?" he grumbled to himself, drawing his knees up to hug his legs. "If I improve myself, I'll probably be unstoppable."

He wasn't expecting any answers from anyone, but a whisper of an idea breathed through his mind and he stood up before leaving the grounds of HQ.

* * *

 

X walked past Mr Cain's manor with a twinge of guilt for not visiting him as often as he promised, but training was much more gruelling than he imagined so he took the opportunity to apologise every time he meets his former caretaker for not assisting him with any new manuscripts. X's fingers itched whenever he sees any inks or papers, but nowadays his fingers are firmly wrapped around bows and swords.

He swanned past without a second glance, skipping along the uphill road leading towards the familiar stone steps until he stopped in front of the town's main shrine, where the gentle glow of Alia warmed X upon seeing her. She patted the seat beside her and X plopped down in relief.

"I'm sorry for not--"

"I know," she cut him off with a sigh, and the warmth left X. "And I'm sorry too. I've been called to the forest over the past few months for disturbances so I haven't been around as often."

"Disturbances?"

"Yes. Demon activities, but they keep vanishing and reappearing. I haven't seen them, but other kami keep telling me that there's something rotten wandering around and it keeps getting closer to the town."

X shuddered.

"Some...THING?"

"Only one, but I keep hearing that it's powerful," she uttered before glancing at him. "But enough ghost stories - how's your training going?"

X fell silent and she hummed in sympathy. "Other cadets, huh?"

"Yeah," he grumbled, "I really hate that Chill Pen guy. I thought that the harassment would end for new cadets as soon as a month pass."

"Oh, X," Alia sighed softly, "you're still a baby to them even though your marksmanship is the BEST that anyone in this town has ever seen. It won't be jealousy that they keep pestering you."

"What is it then?!" X burst, "because today, I shot an arrow at the target all the way from the watchtower!"

She whistled, nodding. "I saw. It was impressive!"

"And Commander Sigma lost his shit because Chill Pen was messing around with his junk out when the arrow hit the target right by him--"

Alia fell into giggles. "I thought I heard him scream. I was on the other side of the boundary fence."

"And you probably saw me running through the forest carrying a log as punishment," X deadpanned and she nodded.

"So what happened to you after that?"

X fell silent before inhaling. "They didn't do anything to me after that. I thought that they'd lace my mat with thorns, but it wasn't booby-trapped at all."

"And yet, you're here. Why?"

"It's just..." X looked up, watching the stars. "I miss Zero."

His friend said nothing, listening.

"He taught me how to fire an arrow. He taught me how to fight with a sword. He also taught me hand-to-hand combat, but today when Chill Pen elbowed me and I missed the target, I just imagined Zero kicked his ass into apologising to me, but it shouldn't be like that."

Even though Alia clearly wished for such as thing to happen, she kept her mouth shut.

"He taught me so much," X mutters softly, "but I've been here for a little over a year, and I barely improved. I'm still at the stage where Zero had to hold my hand just to make sure that I didn't accidentally gut myself. I've learnt stuff in HQ that I already knew about because of the manuscripts and Zero's instructions, but what use am I if I can't even change?"

The blonde kami also gazed up to see what X was wistfully watching - a sky blanketed with stars.

"If you ask me, you're already an advanced cadet," she said and he shot her a look, "if you knew so much already and can defend yourself without breaking a sweat, then you're already improved. But that's not what you're really worried about, are you?"

X's face fell as he looked down at his geta.

"It's my ability... maybe Commander Sigma is trying to put all this extra pressure on me because I haven't shown signs of using it ever since the exam."

"That's very likely," Alia said carefully, "but I've been observing him visiting Mr Cain a lot lately."

"What?" X blinked, staring at her. "Visiting him? Why? He doesn't make home visits to cadet's families."

"Not unless they can trap souls of demons into their minds," she clipped, "but I keep seeing them together and whenever I come closer, Sigma just..." She shuddered. "His glare is like a demon's. I feel sick just seeing them look at me. I think he knows I'm a kami."

X watched her wipe her forehead even though kami cannot sweat, but the poor woman looked sick.

"I came here because I wanted advice on using my power more, but instead..." he whispered, stopping as he heard footsteps coming up the stone steps and his heart leapt. "Zero?"

But the large looming figure wasn't Zero - Commander Sigma himself walked closer to the shrine and X wearing his black and green ceremonial robes.

"C-Commander Sigma?" X stuttered before bowing, "what are you doing here?"

He couldn't see Alia at the corner of his sight. She must've vanished, leaving him alone.

"To make an offering, of course," the man chuckled lowly, apparently in good humour and X rose as he walked past him to place a lit incense stick onto a holder, soft glow bringing a gentle light to the blueish-grey stone.

"It's a bit late, isn't it?" X wondered.

"It's a bit late wandering around here, isn't it?" Sigma countered without looking at him and he gulped.

"I cannot sleep."

"No doubt from hunger, I take it?"

X's stomach flipped.

"I can hold out until morning."

"A former scribe like you cannot possibly comprehend the real pain of starvation from one missed meal," Sigma said coldly, looking at the lettering over the shrine's block.

X opened his mouth to argue, but held back.

"What? No argument?" Sigma clipped and his throat dried.

"No, sir. My breath would be better spent silent and dead in my chest."

"Typical," the large man sighed and finally looked at him. "Your problem is that you're too passive, X."

"Passive?" X blinked.

"And a pacifist," he tsk'ed, "you refuse to lay harm on anyone, even during training. Self-defence won't win wars, X. Zero may have taught you everything, but killing is a part of becoming a Demon Hunter. You must understand that."

"I understand," X said, biting his tongue, but Sigma shook his head.

"No, you don't. If you were to disobey orders and spare a demon's life, it constitutes treason. And such is punishable with death. Can't you see that I'm trying to protect you by telling you all this? I'm saying this when there's nobody else around to embarrass you, because even whispers of your pacifism could reach the capital and you could be imprisoned without charge."

X relaxed, but with a bitter taste under his tongue.

"I appreciate your advice, Commander Sigma, but I will duly ignore it. I became a Demon Hunter to help people, not kill them."

Sigma's eyebrow rose at that.

"And I want to improve my power, the one that Mr Cain and you witnessed on my exam," X explained, "I already know how to fight and use weapons, but the ONE thing I want to focus on improving that Zero won't be able to help me with is my soul-trapping ability. Zero may have taught me everything, but only on self-defence."

Sigma's frown didn't go away, neither did his crossed arms relax, but he spoke with surprisingly sharp venom that made X feel nauseous.

"There will come a time where you cannot afford to hesitate to kill the enemy. Your hesitation will lead to doom and destruction, all in the name of your so-called 'pacifism.'"

X stared at him, feeling the cold fill his chest with something malicious choking his throat. The last time he felt like this was when-

"Return to HQ. In the morning, I will give you permission to leave this town to seek out Demon Hollow where you will put your ability to practice. If you are that self-assured that you can take care of yourself without endangering someone else's life, then you will spend one week in that place relying only on your instincts and knowledge to survive."

But that almost bowled the teenager over, yet he finally found his words.

"Sir!" X croaked before clearing his throat. "I'll do it. It'll benefit my ability and in return benefit the Demon Hunters!"

Sigma began to walk away, but not without smirking.

 

 


	2. Meeting Ferham

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I found out that the hotel I'm staying in won't be the one my pal and I are staying at bc their cousin booked us in a hotel MILES away so I'm pretty stressed right now as I'm trying to think of some ways to raise funds to cover the cost of staying in a room that'll likely skyrocket in price and cover the cost of travelling there. In short, this is probably going to be my last thing to write for Ao3 depending how stressed from being unemployed makes me...

If anyone else stumbled upon this beautiful crystal-clear lake inside a mountain, they wouldn't have thought that this place is crawling with demon. But yet, X himself sat down at the shore hugging his knees to his chest as if patiently waiting for the next 6 days to breeze past. His stomach growled as he regretted not stealing chazuke from the cooks sooner, but Commander Sigma took him to this Demon's Hollow and pushed a boulder in front of the crack on the side of the mountain, stopping X from leaving. Not that he was going to leave voluntarily, but a condition was placed upon him that he cannot bring any food or tools with him. This challenge put upon him will also help him try to strengthen his soul-trapping ability, given how right now thousands of eyes are watching him intently from the shadows, the walls, even the reeds hiding the boggy growths at the bottom of the lake with unsuspecting fishes gliding around, nibbling at algae...

Rumble...

X groaned as his stomach broke his concentration.

"I'd sooner starve to death than kill a demon, not when you can learn from them..." he grumbled to himself and someone sat down beside him, but he daren't look at them just in case. Some demons consume your soul upon making eye contact...

 _"Learn from demons, eh?"_ Zero's voice entered his ear and he shivered all over, burying his face in his knees.

"I know you're not the real Zero. He's at the capital city being the princess's bodyguard. He's so busy that he can't even send me a letter."

 _"Shame..."_ the disguised demon sighed, _"but I can't help taking this form knowing that the gentleman in particular happens to make your body throb at the mere thought."_

'So they're a shape-shifting succubus,' X thought grimly, trying not to react when bare hands touch his shoulders - firmly-built from archery but still as small as a scribe's.

 _"Do you miss him?"_ the succubus cooes, draping itself over his shoulders, _"because I can look and talk exactly like him..."_

"No thanks," X says bluntly, deciding to look at the disguised succubus and immediately noticing that the copy's eyes are lighter than Zero's. "Besides, Zero's eyes are darker. You're a bit rusty for a succubus."

But the demon chuckled before slowly morphing with black ooze smothering over her body, changing to that of a red-haired woman with a loose-fitting kimono and an obi that appears to be made out of folded reptilian wings as they twitch involuntarily.

_"And you're very ballsy for a little boy. Did you get into an argument with your mommy and ran away?"_

"No," X snorts, "I'm here for the next 6 days for... spiritual training."

 _"I see!"_ Her eyes widen. _"So you're looking to be influenced by demons like me? What an honour."_

"I didn't expect a succubus to come here of all places though," the male remarks curiously. "I'd have thought that you would ALL live in the larger towns as hostesses, not taking it easy in a place like this."

 _"Well it has been difficult to lure men aside lately,"_ the succubus sighs, leaning against his shoulder even though she's a good foot taller than he is. _"All these Demon Hunters keep finding me and trying to kill me, but I haven't done anything wrong! Well, kind of. I only sleep with men and women for energy, not to steal or kill them."_

"So your energy is running low?" X asks and she grins with a nod. He carefully poked her forehead - a risky move for a half-mortal - and she backed up with a complaint. "You're not having mine. Go someplace else."

 _"No - I can hold out for a couple of weeks,"_ she pouts and sits down properly, bare feet crossing over atop the grass. _"But I'm curious about you - you have the smell of those Demon Hunters, yet you also smell like a scribe."_

"Oh, I grew up being taken care by one. Then I passed the exam last year to become a Demon Hunter."

_"Are you usually this talkative with demons about your life...?"_

"Uh... I can't help it sometimes. My only friends are Zero and Mr Cain, my caretaker, so I don't really have many people to talk to that won't think I'm weird..."

 _"Oh, boy,"_ the succubus whispers, raising her eyebrows. _"Well I don't exactly get along with humans unless its for sex, but I see what you mean."_

"What?" X looked at her again. "Do you get along with other demons?"

 _"Only in the same way that humans have people they can and can't stand,"_ she shrugs. _"But as for me, I just go wherever I want. I have a couple of pals living in the capital, but I generally work alone."_

"Right..."

Silence.

"My friends do call me X though. What's your name?"

She snorted. _"What's your real name?"_

"Xavier."

_"Ouch. Okay, I'll be your friend and call you X instead. My name is Ferham, a succubus."_

X nodded politely with a wry smile. "Nice to meet you."

* * *

 

Ferham had left a while after their introductions, but she didn't expect to see X construct a mat out of fallen tree twigs and branches beneath one of the evergreens.

 _"I'd have thought that you'd climb outta here by now,"_ she commented as she approached him, _"with a pair of sharp sticks and balls of steel, you can scale the inner walls of this mountain and escape that way."_

"I can't leave now," X said and flopped down onto his back, staring up at the sky. "I guess that you heard about my power to trap souls in my mind from other kami."

He felt the mat shift a little as Ferham also laid down beside him, looking up. He gave her a wary glance, for she is still a demon at the end of the day, but she seemed relaxed.

_"I've heard rumours, but I didn't believe them until I took one look at you and thought that if a small guy like you can subject himself to a gruelling experience trapped in a Demon Hollow, then you're definitely someone who has an incredible power to keep you safe somewhat."_

"That's me, alright," X grumbled, "but I keep trying to find ways to end conflicts peacefully and without injury or death, but everybody in my unit are so hell-bent on killing and injuring that they think I'm weird for being a pacifist."

 _"Even I think that's weird,"_ Ferham sang lightly and folded her arms behind her head. _"It's as weird as you rejecting my advance, which was the ONLY time that it had ever happened to me, so I'm still feeling odd about that." X turned his head to look at her before she spoke in a sultry tone. "Even though this 'Zero' is someone that you and your body clearly desired, you rejected me. Your desire is strong enough for you to wish that he was here, but you didn't act on those feelings. Why?"_

X pursed his lips before sighing.

"He taught me everything. We practically grew up joined at the hip and he was the one who brought me out of my shell. He became a hunter before I did, but he always made the time to visit me."

_"Have you two ever...?"_

"No," X smiled, "but even though he makes my blood race, I daren't jeopardise what we have based on mere feelings. He's too precious for me to lose."

Ferham's eyes glazed over but she rolled onto her side, facing him directly.

_"What if you have the chance to ever show him how you feel? I could help you with that~"_

X's stomach turned as her features began to change and his hand shot out to hold her shoulder - she returned to her real face with her eyebrows close together in confusion.

"I made a promise to him," he utters, "in three years when we meet again, we are to demonstrate our power and combat abilities to each other to show how far we've come in our training during our time of separation. If I can hone my ability to trap the souls of demons in my mind and purify them in that manner, then Commander Sigma will acknowledge my power and respect me more. So even though I want to see Zero again, I can't break our promise and see him prematurely. It'll be my way of showing him my love."

Ferham said nothing as she relaxed. _"Love, huh?"_

X let go of her and she flopped onto her back, kimono fabric draping just over her upper arms.

_"That must be why I feel so powerful around you. Even now, you're so full of determination to live to that promise."_

"I am. There's no denying it."

_"In that case, I will help you survive in this Demon Hollow in exchange for giving me your energy."_

"I will not have sex."

But Ferham giggled. _"Didn't you hear me, X? I felt powerful from just being with you. Touching my shoulder transferred some of that energy over to me already. Sexual energy is powerful indeed, but what you're feeling right now could keep me going for the next few weeks."_

* * *

 

They spoke for a while after that until night-time came and X yawned after eating some dewy shoots.

"Tomorrow, I better fish..."

_"Good idea. You do all the work, I'm here to keep you from going insane. But go sleep, you silly fool, because I've seen fools stay up for many consecutive nights only to turn into bumbling rambling apes."_

"Thanks. Goodnight, Ferham."

Needless to say, Ferham is still perplexed that a half-human would commune with her as though she is an equal to him, but it gave her an odd sense of relief that she did not have to owe X anything for just talking and being around him. She hasn't felt this comforting companionship since...

Hours must've passed, but as she slowly descended from the mountain top with her hair fluttering and spreading like crimson wings, she noticed her new friend writhing in his sleep, gritting his teeth as his fists clenched.

 _"Oh, dear,"_ she uttered and her body began to change shape to that of the man X dreamed so dearly about until she resembled Zero and knelt beside him, watching beads of tears building at the corners of his eyes.

"Zero... don't die..." he hissed, "no..."

 _'Do the other cadets know that he talks in his sleep?'_ Ferham wondered before placing a hand on X's forehead.

 _"X. I won't die,"_ she spoke in a deep tone, _"I made that promise, remember? You agreed to it too."_

She crossed her other fingers that X won't wake up and kill her, but she felt him unwind as he let out a long breath, lips twitching into a small smile.

 _"I promise, X,"_ she carried on, wondering if she's even getting the tone right though it's working as the male didn't stir. _"And then when that happens, I'll be more than happy to continue to share my life with you."_

The tears fell and X mumbled something, but Ferham didn't quite hear him until he began to softly snore and she took her hand off him.

 _'Good grief...'_ She sighs, moving to lean back against a tree. _'This guy better survive the next few days, because I don't know if I can convince the other demons to leave him alone long enough...'_


End file.
